Poisoned Skin
by tswheaton
Summary: Seeking to take Martha somewhere quiet and peaceful, to get away from it all, the Doctor visits the planet Markin; known for its philosophers and farmers. But what they discover, however, is a deep, dark secret that not even the Doctor knows anything about.


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**Doctor Who  
POISONED SKIN  
**by  
tswheaton

First Draft March 2008  
© TRAVIS S WHEATON, 2000  
Australian Writers Guild Assoc Member No.12444  
Geelong, AU

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Author's Note:

For many a year I have been trying to develop a "_Return to ***_ " story, but never quite getting it right. My original plot was very "Nimon-y", but I've developed it away from that now hopefully. It was originally intended as an Eighth Doctor story, but I decided to "update" it to 10 and Martha (as at time of writing).

(_You'll know the *** in a moment..._)

So far I have only written about the first 1/4 of the script, though I've plotted it out through to the climax.

If there's enough interest, I will look at writing some more...

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**EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE**

A white van pulls up outside a typical suburban home. The van declares itself to be the enemy of all creepy crawlies, with numerous methods of communication offered to arrange the booking of the van's services.

A man gets out of the van, goes to the rear, opens the double doors and arms himself.

.

**INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE — FOYER**

The door opens, revealing the Exterminator. He is pointed down to the cellar by a disinterested humanoid, who promptly returns to the lounge room to the waiting television set.

.

**INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE — CELLAR**

The Exterminator prods and probes various likely corners and alcoves with the tip of his spray gun.

EXTERMINATOR  
No use hiding, I know you're in there.

He chuckles to himself.

There is movement behind an old refrigerator.

EXTERMINATOR  
Ah, got you now!

He gleefully exclaims, before sidling over to the fridge. He gives a little test spray of his weapon. Something behind the fridge rustles again.

He pulls the fridge out from the wall.

Immediately he steps back in horror, screaming.

.

**INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE — LOUNGE ROOM**

Mother, father, and daughter are sitting in front of the television. They are all cross-legged on yoga-style mats. They don't appear to hear the sound of screaming coming from below. As one, they begin to chant.

FAMILY  
Om… Om… Om… Om...

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**_OPENING TITLES_**

.

**INT. TARDIS CONSOLE ROOM — TIMELESS**

The TARDIS is quiet, and empty. The lights ebb and flow gently to their own rhythm.

Without warning the exterior doors burst open as MARTHA scrambles inside, closely followed by THE DOCTOR, who ends up sprawled atop her.

The Doctor kicks the door closed, and they both sigh with relief.

Martha wriggles around to face the Doctor.

MARTHA  
Seriously. ANY ordinary, happy people?

The Doctor grins at her.

THE DOCTOR  
Oh, but where's the fun in that?

He awkwardly climbs off Martha, then helps her to stand. He heads towards the TARDIS console.

Following him, Martha starts a list, counting off on her fingers.

MARTHA  
The fun part is not being shot at, chased  
with pointy spears, threatened with  
decapitation, sent to the Salt Mines of  
Argon V, —

The Doctor, who has been setting the TARDIS in motion, suddenly stops still, causing Martha to nearly crash into him.

THE DOCTOR  
Argon V is a beautiful planet!

MARTHA  
That's maybe, but I only saw it from  
five miles underground!

The Doctor relents, holding up his hands.

THE DOCTOR  
Ok, ok. So, you want me to take you  
somewhere boring?

Martha considers the offer, then nods her head.

THE DOCTOR (con't)  
Somewhere devoid of guns and spears  
and — anything else pointy?

Again, and enthusiastically, Martha nods.

THE DOCTOR  
No mines?

MARTHA  
No mines, prisons, killer robots, Daleks...

For a moment the Doctor looks stumped, before a small smile starts to emerge at the corner of his lips.

THE DOCTOR  
Markin!

Martha looks at the Doctor as if he's cursed.

MARTHA  
Beg your pardon?

THE DOCTOR  
Planet full of philosophers, poets, dandelion  
chasers... Nothing interesting ever happens  
there, EVER, and - I know — I visited just  
before the End and it was still boring. Whole  
planet just breathed a collective — sigh —  
and disappeared, forever.

Running her fingers over her hair, Martha listens to the Doctor's description.

MARTHA  
Is there a beach?

The Doctor leans on the TARDIS console and pulls a face at Martha. He points to the interior door.

THE DOCTOR  
Three levels down, 29th door on the left,  
just after the Plant Room — perfectly good  
swimming pool.

MARTHA  
Doctor, have you actually tried following  
your directions? I swear you have no idea  
where anything is in this TARDIS.

Sidestepping around the console, the Doctor scratches his head.

THE DOCTOR  
That's the problem with an infinitely  
configurable infrastructure. You always  
forget where you put things.

MARTHA  
Markin?

The Doctor pulls a face at Martha, mimicking her own from moments ago, before flashing her a beaming smile.

THE DOCTOR  
Markin it is!

He flicks a switch, and the TARDIS jolts widely.

.

**EXT. MARKIN CITY LIMITS — MORNING**

From above, the city looks like a giant wagon wheel; its stone walled buildings stretch out from a large central library in twisted spokes.

The TARDIS materialises just outside a small building. There is no sign of life.

Martha slowly peers out of the doors, before emerging into the street. She is now wearing a flowing toga. The Doctor soon follows her, dressed in a slightly more stylish outfit.

Whilst holding the material of her robe out from her body, Martha turns to the Doctor.

MARTHA  
Are you sure this —

The Doctor has come to a complete standstill. He raises a finger to his lips.

THE DOCTOR  
Something's wrong.

Martha stops worrying about her attire and looks around. There is no one in sight. The street is littered with everyday items, abandoned. There are large cobwebs over doorways and windows of the stone dwellings.

THE DOCTOR  
This is — just wrong. I know this place.  
It should be bustling with activity. Well —  
it should be bustling with thinkers and  
laureates.

Martha picks up a ceramic jug, discarded and broken. It is covered in an intricate pattern.

MARTHA  
This place looks like it's been abandoned  
for…

The Doctor rushes over to Martha and pushes her into a small alley. Moments later a group of five ragged looking people scurry around the corner.

They stop near the TARDIS, all of them wary of their surroundings. Upon closer inspection, they are all armed — but not with guns. Slingshots, wooden daggers, a spear; all low-tech though still capable of causing injury.

The leader of the group, a fair haired woman named SADII, pulls a young boy, OLRIC, aside.

Before addressing him, she turns to an older woman, KARI.

SADII  
(to KARI)  
Kari, keep an eye out.  
(to OLRIC)  
You nearly got us killed back there!

From their hideaway, Martha sees the weapons they are carrying.

MARTHA  
(whispering)  
Poets?

THE DOCTOR  
(whispering)  
Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Olric hurtfully peers at the ground.

OLRIC  
It looked like there was only one of  
them, and that man was still alive.

SADII

There's no such thing as only one, and  
he was dead already.

MARTHA  
(whispering)  
What's going on?

The Doctor shakes his head.

THE DOCTOR  
Something is majorly wrong here!

The Doctor steps out of the hiding spot and into the middle of the group.

THE DOCTOR  
Hello!

All five aim their weapons at the Doctor.

Martha slowly steps out to join the Doctor.

MARTHA  
Hi.

She waves at the group of surprised Markins.

SADII  
Who are you?

THE DOCTOR  
More to the point, what's going on here?  
This is Markin, isn't it? It's supposed to  
be a planet of peace.

He sweeps his hands around at the assembled group.

THE DOCTOR (CON'T)  
This is all just WRONG!

The Markins stare the Doctor up and down.

MARTHA  
Yeah, I thought the pen was mightier  
than —

Lowering his slingshot, Olric falters.

OLRIC  
It's all just gone to hell!

SADII  
Shut-up, Olric!  
(to the Doctor)  
How can you not know?

Another of the group aggressively pushes forwards, spear aimed at the Doctor's head.

PAOL  
Who are they, Sadii?

Sadii steps closer and pushes Paol back.

SADII  
We can't stay out here much longer.  
We'll take them with us.

PAOL  
We're not showing them our base!?

The Doctor raises his eyebrows at Martha. She shrugs.

Their non-verbal communication is not lost on Olric.

OLRIC  
They know something! Did you see?!  
They… Maybe they control them! Maybe  
they brought them here!

SADII  
(bitter)  
We know who brought them here.  
(to THE DOCTOR)  
Now would not be a good time to lie to us.

THE DOCTOR  
Haven't said a word, yet.

PAOL  
He's a liar.

Martha steps in front of the Doctor, towards Paol, doing her best to look menacing and aloof.

MARTHA  
Watch your mouth — do you know who  
he is?

The Doctor turns to Olric with a quizzical glance.

THE DOCTOR  
Who are 'them'?

SADII  
You really don't know?

PAOL  
We're wasting time.

Moving idly past Olric, the Doctor advances on Sadii.

THE DOCTOR  
Really don't know. Come from out of  
town. Tell me who 'they' are.

Sadii stares into the Doctor's eyes. She starts to open her mouth, however Kari races towards them from her vantage point.

KARI  
One soldier, heading our way.

Justina, the final member of the group, glares at Olric. He fidgets awkwardly under her gaze.

OLRIC  
I know — it's never one.

Fingers trembling on his spear, Paol looks around, then to Sadii.

PAOL  
What about them?

SADII  
We take them with us.

Watching the transaction, the Doctor steps between them.

THE DOCTOR  
You know, if you just tell me —

Paol pushes his spear under the Doctor's nose, and uses it to move him in the opposite direction down the street.

PAOL  
Just move!

Taking his lead, Justina does likewise with Martha.

As a group they start running down the street.

Martha comes alongside the Doctor, and raises her eyebrows.

MARTHA  
Crackpot mercenaries totting primitive  
weapons, making us run from a mysterious  
enemy. It's always the same with you.

She grins.

.

**EXT. MARKIN STREET — MOMENTS LATER**

Kari and Olric lead the group, with Sadii taking up the rear.

The lead two round a corner, then rapidly backtrack.

KARI  
It's a trap!

As they retreat, the Doctor and Martha watch as two 6 foot long spiders scurry around the corner in front of them.

Martha comes to a rapid halt, fear splashed across her face. The Doctor however continues moving closer, staring in disbelief at the spiders.

Sadii, Paol, and the others in turn except for the Doctor spin around to retreat, however they find another spider now blocking their path.

Sadii, Olric, Kari, Paol and Justina, all scatter with practiced speed, firing stones from their slingshots and throwing small hand-held weapons. Paol approaches the rear spider with his spear.

Realising he is now in the middle of a battle, the Doctor looks around for Martha. He rushes over to her, and points out an open doorway. Martha shakes her head.

MARTHA  
I'm not hiding!

She picks up a rock from the ground and throws it at one of the spiders which is menacing Olric.

THE DOCTOR  
What are they doing here?

MARTHA  
You know them?! Why am I not surprised.

Sadii is trying to bring her group together in a defensive motion.

MARTHA  
Are they — poisonous?

The Doctor turns to her and screws up his face as if she's just asked the most stupid question, then shrugs.

THE DOCTOR  
I don't know. Poisonous minds though.

MARTHA  
Minds?!

The Doctor leaves Martha with that thought as he rushes out into the midst of the fight and holds up his hands to both sides.

Sadii and her crew cease their defence, and the spiders take a hesitant move backwards.

The Doctor takes a step closer to the spiders. Sadii watches on suspiciously.

THE DOCTOR  
What are you doing here? This isn't your planet.

The spiders twitch but do not otherwise respond.

Watching curiously, Paol whispers to Sadii.

PAOL  
What's he doing?

SADII  
I don't know.

Martha slowly steps over to join Sadii.

THE DOCTOR  
(under his breath)  
Come to that — even Metabilis wasn't  
your planet.  
(to the spiders)  
You have no right to be here.

The spiders again dance from foot to foot to foot to foot.

THE DOCTOR  
These people were helpless and — what —  
you just waltzed in and conquered them?

With unbridled passion Sadii leaps forwards.

SADII  
Conquered? There was no conquer —  
they devoured everyone!

The Doctor spins around to look at Sadii, confused.

THE DOCTOR  
Everyone?

MARTHA  
Doctor look out!

As he speaks, the spiders jump forward, one landing on the Doctor, knocking him to the ground. Martha rushes to try and help him.

Sadii distracts the other spider, and Paol leaps forwards and stabs it with the spear, making it writhe in agony.

Seeing the Doctor's plight, Kari rushes over and helps Martha to fend the spider off the Doctor's struggling form. As she frees him, the spider turns its attention to her, latching itself around her body, fangs penetrating her torso. It lets her go, her body crashing lifelessly to the ground.

OLRIC  
No!

Olric runs towards the spider, wildly shooting with his slingshot. One of the missiles connects with one of the spider's eyes. Justina joins Olric, and manage to inflict enough damage that the spider retreats up the side of a building and out of sight.

They both then rush to Kari's body.

Martha is cradling the Doctor. He is in shock, staring at Kari's body.

Sadii and Paol join Olric and Justina at Kari's body.

Olric raises his tear stained face to stare at the Doctor.

OLRIC  
She died for you.

Kneeling down, Sadii places her hand on Olric's shoulder.

SADII  
She died for all of us.

.

**INT. UNDERGROUND CELLER**

THE DOCTOR  
This can't be how it ends?


End file.
